Fence post construction



Nov. 5, 1963 E. M. MGKEE, JR

FENCE.l Pos1: CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 9, 1961 Fig.

INVENTOR. Ernest M.M Kee, Jr.

United, States Patent O 3,109,629 FENCE POST CNSTRUCTN Ernest M. McKee, lr., B9. Box 646, Wiiiits, Calif. Filed Jan. 9, i961, Ser. No. 81,576 2 Claims. (Cl. 25d- 59) This invention relates to the art of fence making and more particularly relates to a new and useful fence post construction.

In many 4types of `fences it has been found desirable, both for structural and decorative reasons, to provide a post having spaced-apart standards arranged to receive and support the ends of abutting fence panels between the standards. Such a device has been found structurally good and has the effect of giving the fence a more linished and graceful appearance by concealing the panel ends.

The prior art fence post constructions presently en ployed for the above purpose and with which I am familiar, generally comprise a single 4 x 4 post rabbeted on opposite sides to receive abutting panel ends. The use of the prior art device has been found inadequate due to the tact that the longitudinal slots are pre-cut to the thickness of the panels -to be received and the panels tend to contract or change dimensions after the posts have been cemented in place and before the panels are ready for assembly. Thus, costly on-the-job alterations are often required to assem le the fence.

Similarly, `it is common practice to lay out a fence wherein the post holes `are dug on even centers and after the posts are positioned :any variation in length of rail must be accommodated by changing lthe rail because the post is not anchored in position. Thus, if a rail member in the normal rabbeted post construction is longer than -specied it must be `dependent on the expert cutting to enable it to iit between adjacent posts. it is an important object of the present invention to provide a system of fence posts which may be anchored in situs and which enable the positioning of rail members which `are of nonuniform length without the need -for held cutting or other rail modifications.

It is an important object of the within invention to eliminate the necessity of on-the-job post and panel rail alterations by providing a fence post construction which includes a pair of standards separated by a spacer of the same thickness as the panel employed between the posts to faiord a longitudinal slot within which the ends of abutting panels may be placed in end-to-end position. Such a post allows flexibility of the standards with respect to the length of the slot so that oversized and undersized abutting yrail ends will iit snugly in the slot between the two standards.

More particularly, the Within invention provides a tence post having two spaced-apart standards arranged to support planks between the standards. The post includes spacer means interposed between the bottom portions of the standards spacing the standards in parallel relationship a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the rail planks o-r rail panel to be supported by the standards. The spacer means is mounted below the bot-tom margin of the lowest plank to be supported which is usually at ground level. The spacer and the standards are joined together by any desirable means, such as nailing, banding, bolting or the like, or may be united by mounting the llower portions of the standards and the interposed spacer in concrete.

When the lower por-tions of the post are anchored in concrete the upper margin of the spacer extends to approximately the level of the upper extremities of the concrete and ground level. rlhe standards chosen are Sulliciently resilient to allow them Ato be moved toward and away from each other above the spacer means so that the post accommodate the mountingof planks having thicky aisaszs Patented Nov. 5, 1963 ICC nesses which may be greater or smaller than the thickness of the spacer.

Another primary object of the within invention is to provide Va post construction of .the type above described, arranged to facilitate the insertion of yabutting plank ends in the post construction.

A feature and advantage of the above modification resides in the novel cut made to sever the post portions. rihus, a cut is made `at an inwardly, obliquely upwardly inclining angle which permits simple replacement of the severed portions of the standard by mating the severed ends. The standard is `thus restored to its former characteristics by nailing to the inserted panel through the severed parts of the standard at an angle opposite the angle of cut.

Another feature and advantage of the within invention is the fact that the expensive rabbeting procedures employed in the prior art are eliminated by employing the spacer means for the vformation of the post slot.

Still another lfeature and advantage of the within invention is that the post construction may be forme-d in a minimum amount of time without the requirement of special machinery or materials; for example, the spacedapart vertical standards may be fabricated from conventional 2 X 4 posts and panelling scrap may be used to pro-vide the spacer. rIhus, a Afence post construction having substantially the same thickness as the conventional rabbeted 4 x 4 post is provided by the device of the within invention which device includes not only all the utili-ty of the conventional structure but also the .additional advantage of tolerance along substantially the full length of the slot to permit insertion of abutting panel ends formed of thicknesses which vary from the normal width of the slot.

"Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to fthe accompanying draw-ings in which similar characters of reference represent corresponding parts in each of the several views.

ln the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a pair ot posts and a panel rail supported thereby.

PEG. 2 is an end view of a post made in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 3 is a view taken along line 3 3 of FIG. l.

HG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 and showing the abutting panels spaced relatively farther apart.

FIG. 6 is a modification of the invention.

The essence of this invention is in the provision of a simpliiied fence construction wherein the fence posts are prefabricated and set in post holes for reception of rail panelling that may be positioned in place without on-t'nejob cutting or sizing.

FIG. l shows a fence made in accordance with the invention and wherein the panelling indicated at A may be a single panel piece or may be formed, as illustrated, from planks disposed atop one another between adjacent posts indicated generally at B. The posts are anchored in concrete C which anchor means may be pre-formed or formed at the locus of installation.

The post B is formed of a pair of vertical, resilient post members 2 and 3 which, for example, may be 2 X 4" wood members which are spaced apart adjacent the bottom end by means of a spacer member 4. The standards or post members 2 and 3 and spacer member are sandwiched together and secured by nails as at 5. The bottom of the post is anchored in a concrete anchor C and set in a post hole. The concrete is approximately level with the top of the spacer and approximately at ground level.

The rail member A may be formed of lengths of rail boards, planks or integral panels which may or may not vary in length to a considerable degree and may also vary in thickness.

As indicated in FlG. 2 in dotted lines, the standards `maybe flexed apart from one another to accommodate for Varying thicknesses of rail members. As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the rail members may be of varying lengths and still be accommodated securely in the post construction. After the rails have been disposed within the slot 6 formed by the spaced standards or post members, they are then nailed in place by nailing as at 7. The rail members may be threaded into the siots from the top of the post and dropped into place by gravity fall and thereafter secured by nailing. p

FIG. 6 is a modification of the invention particularly adapted for integral rail panels. ln the modiiication one of the post portions is severed as at 12 by an upwardly, inwardly inclined, oblique saw cut at a point disposed substantially above the ground level. The severed portion 13 is removed and the panel may then be positioned in the slot by lifting it only to the height of the cut 12. Thereafter the severed portion i3 is nested back into position to the point of the saw cut and the portion 13 is nailed in position as indicated at 14. The severed portion 13 of the post is indicated in broken lines in FIG. 6 and in replaced position in full lines.

The invention has been described by specific reference to illustration and example of use but it is understood that variations in construction, design, installation and methods of use may be practiced within the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a fence post construction of the type receiving and holding fence panelling in substantial end abutting relationship between two vertical members, the improvements comprising: spacer means having a thickness sub- .4 stantially equal to the thickness of the ends of the fence panelling to be inserted between the vertical members to rigidly space apart the vertical members in parallel relationship; a primary support receiving the lower portions of the vertical members; such spacer means being connected between the vertical members below the upper margin of said primaryrsupport; said vertical members being spaced to deiine therebetween a slotted portion extending from the upper margins of said vertical members continuously to the upper margins of said spacer means, said vertical members being sufficiently exible to receive the ends of said fence panels, the facingrends of which have thicknesses which vary from substantially the thickness of the spacing means to a thickness less than said spacing means and said post being formed suiciently wide to receive and accommodate panels of varying lengths.

2. In a fence post construction according to claim 1 and wherein one of said vertical members includes a rst portion and a second portion severably joinable along an upwardly-inwardly inclining line at a point substantially removed from the upper extremity of the primary support, said iirst and second portions severable to permit the rail panels to be front inserted in the post construction, said rst and second portions joinable to lock the inserted panels in the post construction; joining means extending in a downwardly-inwardly inclining angle through the mating ends of the severed portions of said vertical member.

References VCited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 405,251 Elsey June 18, 1889 520,537 4Harrison Feb. 4, 1890 2,856,652 `Colton Oct. 21, 1958 

1. IN A FENCE POST CONSTRUCTION OF THE TYPE RECEIVING AND HOLDING FENCE PANELLING IN SUBSTANTIAL END ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TWO VERTICAL MEMBERS, THE IMPROVEMENTS COMPRISING: SPACER MEANS HAVING A THICKNESS SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE THICKNESS OF THE ENDS OF THE FENCE PANELLING TO BE INSERTED BETWEEN THE VERTICAL MEMBERS TO RIGIDLY SPACE APART THE VERTICAL MEMBERS IN PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP; A PRIMARY SUPPORT RECEIVING THE LOWER PORTIONS OF THE VERTICAL MEMBERS; SUCH SPACER MEANS BEING CONNECTED BETWEEN THE VERTICAL MEMBERS BELOW THE UPPER MARGIN OF SAID PRIMARY SUPPORT; SAID VERTICAL MEMBERS BEING SPACED TO DEFINE THEREBETWEEN A SLOTTED PORTION EXTENDING FROM THE UPPER MARGINS OF SAID VERTICAL MEMBERS CONTINUOUSLY TO THE UPPER MARGINS OF SAID SPACER MEANS, SAID VERTICAL MEMBERS BEING SUFFICIENTLY FLEXIBLE TO RECEIVE THE ENDS OF SAID FENCE PANELS, THE FACING ENDS OF WHICH HAVE THICKNESSES WHICH VARY FROM SUBSTANTIALLY THE THICKNESS OF THE SPACING MEANS TO A THICKNESS LESS THAN SAID SPACING MEANS AND SAID POST BEING FORMED SUFFICIENTLY WIDE TO RECEIVE AND ACCOMMODATE PANELS OF VARYING LENGTHS.
 2. IN A FENCE POST CONSTRUCTION ACCORDING TO CLAIM 1 AND WHEREIN ONE OF SAID VERTICAL MEMBERS INCLUDES A FIRST PORTION AND A SECOND PORTION SEVERABLY JOINABLE ALONG AN UPWARDLY-INWARDLY INCLINING LINE AT A POINT SUBSTANTIALLY REMOVED FROM THE UPPER EXTREMITY OF THE PRIMARY SUPPORT, SAID FIRST AND SECOND PORTIONS SEVERABLE TO PERMIT THE RAIL PANELS TO BE FRONT INSERTED IN THE POST CONSTRUCTION, SAID FIRST AND SECOND PORTIONS JOINABLE TO LOCK THE INSERTED PANELS IN THE POST CONSTRUCTION; JOINING MEANS EXTENDING IN A DOWNWARDLY-INWARDLY INCLINING ANGLE THROUGH THE MATING ENDS OF THE SEVERED PORTIONS OF SAID VERTICAL MEMBER. 